The tender is done! I had chipped the coal load out with an awl, and made sure all the chunks were broken back up. I made a big blob of hot glue in the bunker to get the nice contour, covered it over with coal and glued it up like ballast.
The clearcoat is Vallejo acrylic satin varnish. My LHS recommended it for another project, and I really like how it works. You have to put it on so it looks way too heavy, otherwise you get a flat, inconsistent finish. But lay it on thick and as it dries - very slowly - it thins out, evens up, and you get this nice satin finish. The wheels got toned down with NeoLube.
